lewis



(No Model.) y 3 sheets-sheen 1. G. W. LEWIS.

GAS ENGINE.

No. 451,621. Patented May 5,1891.

E. (i 'i Y y llllllllmllilll lll-Illv (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. G.W. LEWIS.

GAS BNGINE.

110,451,621. y Patented May 5,1891.

(No Model.) 3 sheetssheet s. G. W. LEWIS.

GAS ENGINE. y No. 451,621. Patented Maly 5,1891.

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UNITED STATES 'PATENT Fries.

GEORGE XV. LEVIS, OF PERU, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF 'lO CHARLESBRUNNER, OF SAME PLACE.

GAS-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,621, dated May 5,1891.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. LEWIS, of

Peru, in the county of La Salle and State of Illinois, haveinventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Engines; and I do herebydeclare that the following; is a full, clear, and exact descriptionthereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to theletters of reference marked thereon, which form apart of thisspecification.

This invention relates to that class of gas or gasoline engines in whichbut one impulse is made for every two'revolutions and in which thepower-cylinder is also utilized as an airpump, a separate air-pump beingdispensed with.

Among the objects ot the invention are the saving of power by theavoidance of air-cornpression on those strokes of the engine nextpreceding the explosion, and also in the avoidance of Waste of the vaporof gasoline or other volatile liquid employed for imparting combustibleproperties to the explosive compound.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a simple andinexpensive construction attaining the purposes above mentioned.

In the attainment of the first-mentioned object of my invention Iprovide for keeping continuously open the exhaust pipe or passageleading from the power-cylinder during the time when the engine isrunning at excessive speed, which, of course, preventsidle compressionof air on the back-stroke of the piston.

The next mentioned object of theinvention is in part attained by thesame provision, since when the exhaust-pipe is held open during aforward movement of the piston such forward movement of the piston willdraw external air into thel cylinder through the exhaust-passage, ratherthan through the air and gas supply pipe, and there will therefore be noWaste of gas or vapor from its induction when not wanted for use; but inaddition to the provision made for keeping the exhaust-passage open Ialso provide torstopping the pump by which gasoline or gas is injectedinto the air-pipe, and as a consequence 5o'nnone is supplied except whenit is required and can be utilized.

Application filed April 22, 1890. Serial No. 348,973. (No model) In theaccompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure l is a sideelevation of the engine. Fig. 2 is a top or plan view. Fig. 3 is an endelevation.` Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of certain parts by verticalsection in line Lt -it of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a detail seen in a sectiontaken on line 5 5 of Fig. 1. Fig. G is a longitudinal section of thepump intended for gasoline or other suitable volatile liquid. Fig. 7 isa horizontal section of the rear end of the cylinder and itsignition-chamber, taken on line 7 7 of Fig. S. Fig. 8 is a verticalsection of the same, taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 7. The foregoinggures illustrate the complete machine as adapted for the use of gasolineor other suitable volatile liquid. Figs. 9 and lO illustratemodifications especially intended for use when illuminating orothersuitable gas is employed instead of gasoline or similar liquid,Fig. 9 being a side elevation of certain parts seen in a section on line9 9 of Fig. l0, which illustrates the same parts in lop or plan view.

Arepresentsthe frame or bedof the machine;

vB, the cylinder fixed to said bed and open at said cylinder, as plainlyindicated in Fig. 7.

The mixed gas and air, or, in other words, the explosive compound, isconducted into this ignition-chamber (which is in open communicationwith the interior of the cylinder B) through a pipe B2, having acheck-valve B3. (Seen in Fig. 8.) As also seen in this figure, from thissame ignition-chamber B leads an exhaust pipe or passage B", closed by avalve B5. The ignition is to be accomplished, as here illustrated, bymeans of a tube B6, closed at its out-er end and having communication atits inner end with the interior of the ignition-chamber B through apassage b, which is intercepted by* a slide-valve B7, the tube B6 beingheated to a temperature suited to ignite its contents by means of aflame burning in constant contact therewith within the chimney orhousing ZJ in the usual manner. Other IOO modes of igniting theexplosive compound within the chamber l lnay,if desireihlic cmployed.

The ignition-valve BT is reciprocated so as to open the tube B intocommunication with the ignition-chamber l at. every other stroke of theengine, and for this purpose said valve B is controlled through themedium of a cam sprocket-wheel D of twice the'diameter of thesprocket-wheel C, which is secured to the crank-shaft C, D being asprocket-chain driving the cam-wheel D from the crank-shaft. Thecam-wheelD is provided with a segmental rib or cam d on its verticalside face, as well illustrated in Figs. l, 2. 3, and t. This cam d actsupon the valve B7 through the medium of a rock-shaft D2, having an arm dat one end carryingafriction-roller (Z2 at its free extremity, whichbears on the side face of said cam (l under the pressure ot' a spring(Z4. At its opposite end the rock-shaft DA2 is provided with an arm d,to the upper end of which is pivotcd a connecting-rod D, which is inturn pivoted to a stud b2, projecting from the slidevalve Blthrough aslot h3 in the plate BS, cov ering the same.

The air-inlet pipe B2 is open at its end Zi, Figs. l and 3, to theexternal air, and between said open end and its connection with theignition-chamber B it is desirably provided with a check-valve D, Fig.3, in addition to the valve B, (seen in Fig. 3,) and it is also providedwith an enlargement B9, Figs. i, 2, and 3, which is iilled with tinewire or other porous material. The lowermost section of said pipe B2 isalso stu ifed with similar material; but between said lowermost sectionand the stuffed or packed enlargement B0 is a section b, which isdesir-ably without stufiingor packing, and with this unpacked section l1connects the induction-pine e, which leads from the gasoline-pu mp E.Liquid injected by the pump into the air-induction pipe B2 isdistributed over the surface of the wires or other packed materialemployed in said pipe B2 in its passage through the same with the air asthe latter is drawn into the rear cnd of the cylinder B, and by means ofsuch distribution it is more thoroughly vaporized and more perfectlycombined with the air in adaptation for the better ignition or explosionof the compound which such vapor forms with thc air as it enters saidignition-chainber. The pipe leading to the gasoline-pump E from anysuitable source of supply is illustrated in Fig. 3 at e', where it isprovided with a check-valve el of any suitable construction. The pump Eis shown in longitudinal section in Fig. G, wherein it is illustrated asbeing formed of a cylinder or body having a longitudinal bore or chamberc2, extending about half its lengthand a smaller bore e3 in continuationof e2, and extending for the remainder of the length of the body.\Vithin the smaller bore eG slides a pistou-rod e4, provided with a heade, fitted to thejlarger bore e? and adapted to seat closely against theshoulder e at the inner cxtemity of said larger bore or chamber ffl. Theinlet-pipe e for gasoline enters the chamber e`I between the piston c5and the outer end of the pumpbody, as indicated in said Fig. (j. Theoutletpipe c from the pump leads from the smaller bore c3 near its innerend through a small oritice @7, which is closed by a light spring-valvee8. Between the head orpiston e5 and the cap e, which closes the outerend of the chamber c2, is placed an expanding spring el, operate ingnormally to press the head c5 against its scat or the shoulder e6. Theopposite end of the pump is closed by a cap c, having aholc through itfor the piston-rod e, and inclos ing a suitable packing through whichsaid rod may closely run. Said piston-rod e is reduced in diameter for ashort distance adjacent to the head e5, and the margin of said head isnotched, as indicated in Fig. 6, to

give passage for liquid from one side to the other thereof when it ismoved away from its seat e".

The pump, when used for introducing a volatile liquid into the air-pipeB2, is opern ated, as here shown, by means of a cam D, Fig. Ll, on theeontinuouslyrotating shaft which carries the caln sprocket-wheel D. Themedium through which the cam I)1 is shown as acting upon the pumpconsists of a rockshaft F, having an arm j" provided with a wheel f',which is engaged by the cam D, and a second arm f2, to which ispivotally and adjustably connected the rod fil. Said rod j"3 has itsouter end bent at right angles with its body, as indicated in Figs. 2and Si, and near its extremity is provided with a hole through whichprojects the end of the piston rod e1 of the pump. Said piston-rod isprovided with an adjustable collar e, forming a shoulder against whichthe laterally-bent end of the rod ff may bear to press the piston-rodinward against the force of the spring el", and thus open communicationbetween the chamber e2 and the chamber e* of the pump, and at the sametime by displacement Vforce a small quantity of the liquid in thechamber c2 out through the orifice e" and into the airinduction pipe B2.The oscillation of the rock-shaft F by the action of the cam D4 vibratesthe arm f2, and thus reciprocates the rod f, which in turn operates thepiston of the pump, as described.

It is the intention that the liquid-pump E shall not be operated whenthe engine has reached or exceeded its maximum desired speed, and tothis end the pump is held ont of action at such times by means of acatchlever G, (seen best in two views in Figs. 4 and 5,) provided with ashoulder atgand vibrated by engagement with the sliding sleeve Il, withwhich the centrifugal governor I, Fig. E?, engages, said sleeve beingmounted loosely on the shaft ll', which revolves the governor I throughthe medium of a sprocket-wheel Il?,

engaged by thc chain D. To bring the shoulder y on this lever G intoengagement with ICO J110 arin, said alrin f is provided with an exl gasunder constant pressu re may be employed -ension an( tie shoulder( onsaid lever G instead of the valor of such volatile li uid. is .inposition to engage tlietipper surface of In the foregoing; descriptionit will bile ob- 5 gidhxgtpnsipi irilieiiit is fully'depressed I lervedlie pump E is held oplep1 dpxrifng 7o l c in f ien ie engine is ruiming1 ie perio o excessive speec, an( 'ia i a tiltlhhitls proper limit ofspeed, the governor I gas were supplied under pressure to the inlet will o d tllie lever G back out of the path of of the pump itavould, whenthe pump is thus 1tbii't vvien hle speedllis eaciulclJ I ietld plpeii',coiitinpgtglly Ixion' througlifthe puintp y e i s imi sait ever wi eroug iii o ie airine f s a means o areven 7 io forward, so that upon thedescent of the arin t ing this actignl in the use of gas, I prdvide for5 fthe latter will engage the shoulder g and an independent operation ofthe pump oil will. thus be held Inbits lowermost position ivalve-actuating rod f3 by pivoting it toa viuntil the speed of theengine shall have di- I brating arm J not connected with the shaft 5ginisled Sifffciently to-respltthin swiigingDthe l F, ilnteagl of to anlarm attahed tegslaid shaft, 8o i ver ou o enfragemen erewit i. uranc virate saitarm or ever y means ing this period oft cdntinued engagement ofof an additional cam D5, attached to the same the arm f with theshoulder g the puinp-pisl shaft which carries the cani D4. In thisconton will b e held pushed inward,but the source struction I give tothe coniiectingrod f3 the of gasoline-supply being below the pumplaterally-bent form indicated atfin Fig. lO, Sq Y zo there will be noinflow of fluid through the i and opposite Ithe bend thereof attachthereto pump to the air-pipe,l and consequently no i a similarly-bentprojection or arm f. Tait-hin flilisgmptgon of gasolinle1 vapor and npprogie spacefiiplose'd betwtentthe a-rin f and 1i o an in ainma e orvaporizec coin ie arm D orining in ac a cam-groove pound Within theengine-cylinder or its igni-, projects an arin f6, attached to the shaftF in 9o 2 5 tion-chamber. v i g place of the arm f2 in the constructionprethllzhtaibit-pipe Id* fis to be kept opei vi'ipsly desplilibedl5'tIfhis j beling rifgil` u ie erio o excessive s eec o Wi n on e vi raion o ie roc y-s ia i the eigine, so thlat the Working of theppiston tthrow Ilthe adjacent end of the lever f3 to one Within the cylinder Bduring such period will i side of its normal positionv by reason of theo5 3o be unattended by the compression of air and i bend or offsettherein, and when this is done may draw in air from the exhaust insteadof the vibrating arm J (which is loosely pivoted through the airr andvapor pipe glo this to a support suitable for the purpose) Will be endthe v alve Boni the exhaust-pipe l) is con'- forced out of thepatli ofthe cain D so that iiected With or made to rest upon an arni Ii v/henthe pump is stopped it will b e closed 10o 3 5 att-ached to' theroch-shaft F, which, as al; instead of open, as in the constructionpreieady explained, is oscillated by the c arn viously described. lVheithe engine is at its and is held at one extreme of itsL oscillationexcessive speed, the arm f will be thrown forby engagement of theextension f of the arm l Ward or to` the right and willbear against thef with the shoulder g of the lever G during Aoffset portion of the rodf3, and will tliusliold 105 4o the period ofN such excessive speed. Ithe arin J, to which said rod f3 is pivoted, out lhe sten b of the valveBf is provided with of the p athlof the cani. DD so long as said arm acllali :and Ebpltwetlri thzis) coltllar aid thte f ilemainstiln thisEpositiomigirti othertwords, un er il aceo ie e ow in ie ex iaus so ongasie ca ciever re ains i s conpilpe rIIS* is insetrted anelezpndinglsprinlg B113, eliction v vith the exltensipn ftof the rin f.11o 45 W 11G serves o norma y raw ie va ve n" iis action as exp ainec,con inues `uring downwardly upon its seat and also to depress theexcessive speed of the engine and termitlie crank-arm F on the shaft Fand to therenates When the speed of the engine has been by rock saidshaft Fin the oppdsite direction reduced to its proper liinit. 'Flic camD5 is fiom that in Which it is rocked or oscillated arranged in thisconstruction opposite or ri 5 5o by the cain D4: The utilization of thisspring pearly opposite the ca m D, inorder that When in the oscillationof the shaftF is only a mat- L hespeed of the engine is within itsproper ter of convenience and any other spring .or a limits saidcaiii D"may strike and actuate the spring applied at any other suitable point inlever J, and thus open the pump-valve for the the structure may be madeto serve the same inlet of gas When the arm fb is in its retracted 12o55 purpose. I position, as shownin Figs. 9 and lO, and when Fhe details0f construction in the iguitiontherefore the arm .I will stand in thepath of valve B7 and in several other parts of the ensaid cam. gine arethe'saine essentially as set forth in a The constructionj ust describedmay be emfprner application filed by me-to Wit, Serial p'loyed inconnection with the use of a vola- 125 6o I\o. 042,582,Iiled March4,1S90-andthe same tile h quid instead of gas; but I prefer, when ned lnot b herebpritlicularlyt? destcribed.l gasoline 1is ised, 1to 1einpoythphconstriiiction aving escri e `ie cons ruc ion anc o 3- revious yescri et as ein T e simp er. 4eration of the engine as adapted for theue p The operation of the engine is obvious of a volatile liquid as thesource of inflamfrom the foregoing description. In starting 13o 6 5inable vapor, I Will next describe the modifiit the first out and instrokes Will be producd cations shown in Figs. 9 and 10, by Which a byhand or other external power applied to the fly-wheel or otherwise. Uponthe first outstroke the piston acts as a pump and draws the mixture ofgas or gasoline vapor and air into the cylinder, and on the firstinstroke this mixture is compressed, and at the completion oftheinstroke or at the pointof maximum compression the ignition-valve isopened and the mixed vapor orgas and air is ignited, producing therequired explosion and the consequent impulse against the piston. At theextremity of the outstroke thus produced the exhaust-valve is opened,sothat on the next return or instroke of the piston the contents of thecylinder are expelled through the exhaust-port. The engine is nowruiming by its own power, and at the completion of this instroke, thusexpelling the contents of the cylinder, the exhaust-port is closed andthe piston on its ontstroke acts again as a pump, drawing air and vaporor gas into the space behind the piston preparatory to its compressionupon the following instroke and its ignition at the completion of saidinst-reke, as before described.

By the construction above explained it will be observed that theexhaust-portis held open by the governor whenever and so long as thespeed of the engine continues above its assigned limit, and during thisperiod the return or in strokes of the piston are not accompanied bycompression of the contents of the cylinder, because said contents havefree egress and ingress through the continuously-open exhaust-port.External air having such free ingress through the exhaust-port, theoutward movements of the piston do not draw air through the gas and airpipe, and there is therefore no waste of vapor during the period ofmaximum engine-speed. As soon as the speed of the engine falls to itsproper limit, however, as indicated by the governor, the exhaust-port isclosed by said governor, and upon the next instroke of the piston thecombustible mixture is drawn through the pipe B2 and compression,ignition, explosion, and impulse again follow and are repeated uponalternate strokes of the piston until the speed shall again exceed itsproper limit.

It is manifest that by the avoidance of aireompression during the periodof excessive speed as a result of keeping the exhaust-port open duringsuch period much power is saved, and it is also evident that by avoidingthe indi-aft of vapor-charged air, as described, the utmost economy ofmaterial is also ef feeted.

I' claim as my inventionl. In a gas-engine having the exhaust-portcontrolled bythe governor and having a gasoline-pump for supplying vaporto the airinlet pipe, the combination, with the governor and theair-inlet pipe, of pump-driving mechanism adapted to be thrown out ofaction by the governor, whereby the pump may be held outof operationduring the period of excessive speed.

2. The combination, with the crank-shaft provided with a sprocket-wheeland the ignition-valve, of a sprocket-wheel of twice the diameter ofthat upon the crank-shaft, a cam on said sprocket-wheel, andintermediate mechanism actuated by the cam and connected with theignition-valve, said cam being adapted to give a quick motion to theignition-valve in opening and elosin g the latter, with a period of restbetween its successive movements.

3. The combination, with the cam spi ockelwheel D, of the roek-shaf tprovided with arms d and D3, respectively engaging the cam and theignition-valve.

4. The combinatiomwith the gasoline-pump and the fly-wheel, of arotating cam, a rock- Sllaft provided with an arm for engaging the camand also with an arm for operating the pump, a vibratory lever providedwith a catch engaging the ti rst-mentioned arm of the rockshaft, and thegovernor arranged to vibrate the lever.

5. The combination ofthe rotating cam Di,

the rockshaft F, novided with an arm f for engaging the cam and the armf2 for operating the pump, the vibratory lever G, provided with a catchengaging the arm f, and the governor arranged to vibrate the lever G,substantially as described.

6. In combination with the rock-shaft F, operated from the driving-shaftof the engine and provided with an arm f2, and with a pump E forinjecting liquid into the airinduetion pipe, a rod f, connected with thepump-piston and adjustably connected with the arm f2, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE XV. LEWIS.

Witnesses:

M. E. DAYTON, C. CLARENCE PooLn.

IOO

